FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has been accused of taking football away from the reach of the average football fan.
Some Nigerians in the diaspora have accused Infantino of considering profits more than the joy of fans who have been deprived of the opportunity to watch matches at the ongoing World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Former sports journalist, Joe Ehizode now resident in Vancouver, Canada, said the 2026 World Cup has turned out to be the worst for the fans, especially Canadian fans who are having the privilege of having some matches in their country.
”How does FIFA expect me to spend $1,500 to buy a ticket to watch a game, that is too much for me. I’ll rather go home and watch it on television”, he said.
Another fan, Christopher Omorodion, also resident in Vancouver which hosts some matches in the Canada centre was full of fury for the FIFA president who he said should be voted out in the next election.
While reacting to the high cost of match tickets, Omorodion said “I can’t spend that kind of money to watch a football match”.
Speaking further, he said,” FIFA under the leadership of Gianni Infantino has lost its soul to the devil. This World Cup is not for regular football fans.
Infantino has made it clear he only cares about people with deep pockets in his decision making.
They have priced the tickets beyond what regular football fans can afford.”
As a result, he is praying that “somebody like Ruud Gullit should challenge him for the FIFA presidency in the next election”.
